Good and bad of boom times felt in Bernards

BERNARDS TWP. A booming economy has been both a blessing and a
challenge for the town government.

New construction and home improvements have expanded the
township's ratable base and lessened the need for new taxes. But
there are also drawbacks a tight labor market that has hampered
hiring efforts and more ambitious budget requests from department
heads.

Both sides of the coin were discussed during the Township
Committee meeting last Tuesday, Oct. 24.

With more than two months still remaining in 2000, the township
has already issued building permits for projects worth a total of
$210 million, said Township Engineer and Planner Peter Messina. The
value from new construction was $116 million in 1999 and $105
million in 1998.

"I was blown over by that number," Messina told the committee.
"That was a lot for 10 months."

Major commercial projects include the Mountain View Corporate
Center, the Marriott Hotel and Dewy Meadow Village, he said. There
have also been 293 new homes, including 271 in The Hills
development, a 1,886-unit project in Liberty Corner that is nearing
completion.

Messina said value has also been created by improvements to
existing homes. That includes alterations, basement finishings and
new decks, he said.

Revenue from construction has provided a form of tax relief.
Without it, taxpayers would bear the brunt of rising municipal and
school costs.

And The Downside…

Drawbacks of the boom were reported by Township Administrator
Barbara Pence. Pence told the committee that with the tightening of
the labor market, there are unfilled openings for eight municipal
jobs.

"We try to be creative but it's a very difficult process," she
said. "We used to, when we had openings, they were not difficult to
fill."

Six of the positions are full-time. They include a young adults
librarian, a reference librarian, an entry-level police records
specialist, an entry-level court violations clerk, an entry-level
staff engineer and an entry-level sewage plant operator.

The two part-time positions are a public works gate attendant
and an electrical inspector.

Pence also took note of challenges in preparing the 2001
municipal budget. She said the budget requests from several
departments "are coming in extremely high. "

"I don't know if the expectations are too high or they're caught
up in the economy," she said. "If the numbers don't come down, I'll
make those cuts. I just want you to be aware."

Mayor Gailanne Barth did not seem surprised. "I have a feeling
you'll have a tougher time because the inclination is it's good
times, and budgets seem to expand in good times."

Pence said some departments may be thinking "it's a robust
economy so let's get it now." She said she will give the
departments the option of paring down their requests before she
does it herself.

Committeeman Bill Allen said that was "exactly the right
approach." At the same time, he said the departments should have
"some avenue of appeal."

The governing body has often boasted of holding down municipal
operating costs during times of growth.

Watch this discussion.Stop watching this discussion.

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Be Yourself. We do not accept and will not approve
anonymous comments. If your username is not your name, please sign
your posts as you would a letter to the editor with your full name
and hometown.Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language.PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated.Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything.Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person.Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts.Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.

Online Poll

In recent weeks, Long Hill Township and Watchung Borough passed ordinances allowing their police departments to be able to apply for surplus equipment from the Department of Defense. Long Hill recently procured a Humvee to use in times of flooding, which Watchung states as the reason they are getting into the program. However, in cities around the country, police forces have used the program to obtain military gear, such as weapons and armor.
For more background, go to the link below
http://www.newjerseyhills.com/echoes-sentinel/news/watchung-police-department-hopes-to-receive-equipment-from-department-of/article_12ad002a-92b3-5449-a2cc-4b2cf0ce4339.html